Date:15/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/15/stories/2004071505120400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Legislators bowled over by Kalam's replies

By K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD, JULY 14. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had a moving tale to narrate during his 45- minute interaction with members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, after his history-making address on Wednesday. The members were simply bowled over.

Dr. Kalam was asked by Padma Devender Reddy (TRS) how the country could get over the problem of poverty and hunger. Spicing up the otherwise drab proceedings of the Assembly, he chose this touching little story e-mailed to him by the National Institute of Mentally Handicapped here, to respond to her question.

The Institute had organised a sports event for the physically and mentally challenged students in 1995. Undeterred by their handicap, nine of them vied with one another in the 100 m race. It so happened that while eight of them were cruising through, one of them fell down.

He got up, tried to run and fell down again. The eight wondered why he was not joining them. When they noticed him struggling, they turned back, helped him to get up and all of them happily walked through to breast the tape. All of them emerged winners.

"If they could do it with all their handicaps, why not one billion people and why not the legislators", he said calling for society's support for reducing poverty and helping the farmers in distress.

What was the event that gave him pride and brought him joy? Responding to the question posed by N. Neelavathi (Congress), Dr. Kalam said it was when he was able to bring down the weight of the calipers used by the polio afflicted children, from three kg to 30 gm. "My team and I were involved in several projects from putting the Satellite Launch Vehicle in place, ensuring Agni reaches its required range accurately and the successful Pokhran nuclear test.

I was happy at these achievements. But the development of composite material for light weight calipers at DRDL here was the most joyous".

G. Kishen Reddy (BJP) wanted to know ways of checking corruption. "It is through teachers and children influencing the parents", he quipped narrating yet another tale of how he got this answer from a student among a group he met in Orissa.

The House got a hi-tech look with the President using a laptop for his power point presentation and two huge LCD multimedia projectors on either side of Speaker's podium. A row of colourful boards displayed

Dr. Kalam's vision for developed India, the Central Government scheme of Programme on Urban Amenities in Rural Areas and Development Indicators for Andhra Pradesh.